Not a Man, Not a Woman: UK Faces Legal Demand for Gender-Neutral Passports

A campaigner seeking gender-neutral UK passports has won the right to mount a challenge against the British government in the High Court in London. Christie Elan-Cane, who does not identify as male or female, believes the passport application process is discriminatory.

A campaigner, demanding Britain follows Canada, Germany and Australia in issuing gender-neutral passports, has won the first stage of their legal battle.

Elan-Cane says the British government recognizes gender-neutral passports from foreigners, but does not offer them to UK nationals, which is allegedly discriminatory.

Kate Gallafent, a lawyer representing Elan-Cane, said her client felt that filling in the passport declaration was a false declaration of gender identity.

"The Passport Office's refusal to provide for X passports affects not only non-gendered persons such as the claimant, but a broad section of the public," said Ms. Gallafent.

It is not known how many people in the UK would wish to use gender-neutral passports but thousands of transgender individuals, those with gender dysphoria, and so-called intersex people, are understood to be keen on the option.

"The size of the potentially affected class is substantial; it has been estimated to be as high as one percent of the population," Ms. Gallafent added.

In 2016, Maria Miller, a Conservative MP and chair of Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee, said gender-neutral passports and driving licences should be introduced.

"As a society and a government we should be looking at ways of trying to strip back talking about gender, and only do that when it's absolutely necessary. We need to understand that gender stereotyping can be as damaging for men as it can be for women," Ms. Miller said at the time.

"For individuals who have decided to transition but haven't necessarily got the right documentation, it can cause problems. Why do we need gender on our driving licence? Why do we have to have it on our passport if it doesn't really add identification? It's not relevant," she added.

Germany, Australia, Denmark, Malta, Nepal and Pakistan do not require passport holders to identify their gender, and Canada recently followed suit.

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